Special Events and Holidays
**Please note that different activities may occur in different years.
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We learn about many different holidays through books and students who celebrate. Parents are welcome to come in and teach us too!
The ABC Countdown on the last 26 days of school offers special events and opportunities, like Outdoor Reading Day.
We enjoy 2 field trips each year. Some past places include a Farm (Planting Unit in Science), shows, the Montgomery Community center and the Princeton Art Museum. We love the Mummy!
Our Second Grade Concert will be one day in May. We will show off all we have learned in Music that year, including using the instruments.
Our PTA and teacher grants provide us with many great assemblies. Here is Sunjata, an interactive Storytelling assembly.
We have 4 parties throughout the year made possible by our fabulous room parent volunteers - Halloween, Winter, Valentine's Day and End-of-Year.
Our parties may include games, crafts, books and other activities. No food will be at parties at OHES due to allergies.
We improve our Geometric design skills and fine motor skills with a sewing project in the spring. They always look amazing and students love to learn something very new.
Fun Day in June offers lots of special outdoor and indoor activities. The water station is always our favorite!
Optional Monthly Challenges in all subjects allow fun extensions for students looking for more at home. This engineering challenge will capture a leprechaun (hopefully!)
We visit our old first grade teachers and their new classes to bring Joy and Cheer for the holiday season with some Winter Carols. This helps us with our fluency and expression
We love well-rounded students and give everyone the chance to show off skills. The Performance Challenge in December allows students to play the piano, sing, dance or bring an instrument from home if they choose.
We may put on a show to practice BECOMING the characters we read about and improve our fluency and expression
We take extra creative and engineering opportunities - these boxes are for our Valentines
In 2022, our Music Teacher, Mr. Hackel helped the students put on a musical play of the story Anansi. In 2023 we performed The Mitten.
Career Day! Our Peer Leaders present possible careers for students (That's my former 2nd grader teaching my 2nd graders 10 years later!)
Some teachers have welcomed MHS's high school seniors from Tomorrow's Teachers class to observe and help in our classrooms in the spring. We welcome role models!
Talewise (my husband's Science Company) brings a science show to enrich our science experience. We love to be volunteers!
We love crafts! We make something new and special every year for holiday gifts for our families and friends.
We encourage student initiative to share about their culture and holidays either independently or with my support.
Engineers designed and created a balloon for our Piccirillo Thanksgiving Day Parade!
Some morning meeting activities encourage teamwork and problem solving, both mentally, socially and kinesthetically.
"Throwing colors" for Holi
Our Clap Off in June as we take our final walk through OHES
Optional indoor recess clubs during bad weather. These friends are making friendship bracelets.
Fun and helpful lessons from our guidance counselor on solving problems, making friends, and being ourselves.
Trip to the farm to see pollination and plant life cycles in action
Pretty diyas we made for Diwali.
Families are welcome to come in as birthday readers. Here is a big sister visiting us.
Teach the Class sharing in May gives students the opportunity to share their special skills with us.
Days of Play offer lots of creative play opportunities with friends
More teamwork and creativity
Earning extra outdoor playtime from finishing our work and listening well
CHOP's Pajama Day helps others while we are super cozy
The 100th Day has fun centers and opportunities to work with numbers. Students enjoyed making 100 piece puzzles.
Hanging up all of our best work on our lockers and looking at the work of other classes as we stroll by.
We bring nature into the classroom whenever possible. One year we had stickbugs we could hold and observe.
MHS Carolers come to sing to us before Winter Break
We spin the dreidels for Hanukkah
The Gratitude Pumpkin lessons around Thanksgiving focus on one item a day that we should be thankful for, but might not have realized yet.
Did we mention Field Trips?
Taking a breathing or stretching break with a GoNoodle
Author Visits - Here is Anica Mrose Rissi from 2023
Bring Your Child to Work Day in April helps us learn to become teachers, with a special guest!
Chinese New Year Parade
Chinese New Year Parade
This is one of our most exciting and anticipated events of the year. We choose a couple second grade classes to join us as we learn about traditional Chinese culture and perform in a dragon parade.
Below are some pictures from recent parades:
Yes, the little one is my daughter years ago :)
Students can choose to be a Dragon Dancer, play instruments, or carry other special things.
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